Civil Service Shakeup: At-Will Firings for Key Policy Jobs Proposed
Published Date: 4/23/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The government wants to make it easier to hold civil service employees accountable, especially those in important policy jobs. Some positions will become 'at-will,' meaning employees can be removed quickly if they perform poorly or break rules. This change affects career employees in key roles and aims to keep the government running smoothly and fairly, with public comments open until May 23, 2025.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Creates at‑will Schedule Policy/Career jobs
If you are a career Federal employee in a "policy-influencing" position, OPM proposes creating a new excepted service category called Schedule Policy/Career that would keep those jobs as career, nonpartisan appointments but make incumbents serve at-will. Employees in Schedule Policy/Career would be excluded from chapter 43 and chapter 75 adverse action procedures and from Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals, allowing agencies to remove them more quickly for misconduct, poor performance, or intentionally subverting Presidential directives. The proposed rule implements Executive Order 14171 (issued January 20, 2025) and is open for public comment through May 23, 2025.
Competitive status retained but service changed
OPM proposes that employees who have competitive status but whose positions are listed in the excepted service (or who are involuntarily transferred into such positions) would retain their competitive status but would not remain in the competitive service while occupying the excepted position. This change appears in the proposed amendment to 5 CFR part 212 and would apply to employees moved into Schedule Policy/Career.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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